Resiliently retained finger ring guard



April 2, 1957 H. AX EL RESILIENTLY RETAINED FINGER RING GUARD 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 7, 1954 April 2, 1957 AXEL 2,787,142

RESILIENTLY RETAINED FINGER RING GUARD Filed Jan. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States atent RESILIENTLY RETAINED FINGER RING Application Ilannary 7 1954, Serial No. 402,615

9 Claims. (Cl. 63--,15..6

This invention relates generally to the art of finger rings, and particularly to such rings that are adapted to adjust themselves automatically to the finger of the user. The invention pertains, more especially, to an improved device that is insertable in a finger ring and adapted to vary the effective area of the finger-receiving opening of the ring.

The invention has for a principal object the provision of a self-adjusting finger ring having improved features construction and design.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which may be readily assembled and mounted in position in a new or used finger ring without the use of tools.

mother object of the invention is to provide a selfadjusting finger ring which is adapted to fit different sized fingers and which, when properly positioned on a finger, remains in such position during normal use without hampering normal circulation of blood through the finger or causing discomfort to the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ring having mounted therein a device for varying the size thereof, such device being effectively concealed when the ring is in place on the finger of the user and serving as a guard for preventing accidental loss of the ring from the finger.

The device of this invention is adapted to be readily employed with various styles of finger rings, whether new or used. Such rings generally include continuous bands that define substantially circular finger-receiving openings. The device of the invention is particularly useful in rings having decorative heads or settings for gems. a ring having a setting for a gem, a recess or cavity is provided to each side of the setting and merges or cornmunicatcs with the finger-receiving opening. A device for varying the effective area of the finger-receiving opening and constructed in accordance with the invention is adapted to be inserted in each recess and retained in position by friction.

A preferred and recommended form of the devce for use with a ring having a gem setting includes a hollow upper unit formed from a piece of flexible, resilient material, preferably a relatively thin sheetmetal. This unit is opened or apertured at the bottom and has a top wall, a pair of spaced side walls and a pair of spaced end walls, each end wall including a curved inwardly projecting lower portion. The unit is adapted to be inserted lin a corresponding recess in the ring and maintained therein by frictional engagement of its side walls with corresponding recess-defining portions of the ring. i

The device also includes a hollow lower unit thatprojects upwardlythrough the open bottom of the upper unit. The lower unit preferably made of the same material as the upper unit and is open at the top. The lower unit comprises an arcuate bottom wall, a pair of spaged side walls, an end .wall and an outwardly projecting flange orfelement carried by the end wall. Aslot is 2,787,142 Efatented Apr. 2, 1 957 p Q n provided in a portion of the lower unit remote from the end wall thereof. One of the curved end wall portions of the upper unit registers with the slot to form a hinge or pivot connection between the units. The flange of the lower unit is positioned above the other curved end wall portion of the upper unit and is adapted to be engaged thereby to limit downward pivotal movement of the lower unit with respect to the upper unit.

Spring means, comprising a generally V-shaped spring, bears against both units and normally and yieldingly urges the lower unit outwardly with respect to the upper unit about the hinge connection. Thus, it will be observed that the device preferably comprises three parts, namely, a hollow upper unit, a hollow lower unit and a spring.

Tt find that a modified form of the device just described may be advantageously employed with a finger ring having a decorative head, as distinguished from one having a setting for a gem. In a ring having such a head, only a single recess or cavity is formed in the central portion of the head and is adapted to receive a modified form of the device. This form of device likewise comprises a hollow upper unit, a hollow lower unit and a spring, the units preferably being square in plan, rather than elongated as in the case of the earlier described device.

The upper unit is similar to the corresponding unit of the earlier described embodiment, and comprises a top wall. and pairs of spaced side and end walls, the end walls having curved inwardly projecting lower portions. The upper unit is adapted to be inserted in the recess and retained in position in the ring by friction.

The lower unit is also hollow and projects intothe upper unit. The lower unit is open at the top and comprises an arcuate bottom wall, a pair of spaced side walls and a pair of spaced end walls. Each end wall carries a flange or stop element which is adapted to engage a corresponding curved end wall portion of the first unit, to limit downward movement of the lower unit relative to the upper unit. A helical compression spring having a diameter slightly smaller than the internal width of the lower unit is positioned between the units and bears against the top wall of the upper unit and the bottom wall of the lower unit to normally and 'yieldingly urge the" lower unit downwardly with respect to the upper unit.

Several forms of springs, shown in the drawings and described further along herein, may be used in lieu of the helical compression spring.

The enumerated objects, as well as other objects, together with the advantages of the invention, will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, upon reference to the following detailed description and the annexed drawings, which respectively describe and illustrate rings having devices of this invention incorporated therein.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation view, partly in central, vertical cross-section, of a finger ring having a preferred form of device constructed in accordance with this invention operatively associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, in enlargement, of one of the devices shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View taken along line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of one of the units of the device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a view taken along staggered line 7-7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view taken along line 8--8 of Fig. 4;

. Fig. 9 is an end elevation view, partly in centralvertiavenue n? cal cross-section, of another style of finger ring having a modified form of the device of this invention operatively associated therewith;

Fig. is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 9, part being broken away for better illustration;

Fig. 11 is a view in end elevation, as seen from the right of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view corresponding to the upper portion of Fig. 9 and illustrating another modified form of the device of this invention;

Fig. 13 is a view taken along line 1313 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is an isometric view of a spring that may be used in lieu of the springs shown in Figs. 9 to 13.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, l have illustrated in Fig. l a finger ring, generally indicated by numeral 15, and comprising a band 16 that carries a setting unit 17. The band defines a generally circular finger-receiving opening id. The setting unit includes a base 2% and a plurality of arcuate upstanding prongs 21 that constitute ornamental extensions of corresponding portions of the base. The prongs are adapted to receive and retain a gem, or the like, 22. The band is provided with a pair of circumferentially spaced recesses or cavities 23 that lie to opposite sides of setting unit 17 and that communicate with finger-receiving opening 18.

Mounted in each recess 23 is a device 25 for varying the effective area of finger-receiving opening 18. Device 25 is best shown in Figs. 2 through 8 and comprises an upper unit 26 that is adapted to be inserted and frictionally maintained in a corresponding recess, and a lower unit 27 that projects into the upper unit.

, Upper unit 26 is hollow and is preferably formed of thin sheet metal. This unit has a top wall 28, which is slightly concave and which is provided with an opening 29. Depending from the top wall is a pair of spaced resilient side walls 30 and a pair of spaced resilient end walls 31 and 32. End wall 31 has a curved inwardly projecting lower portion 33, while end wall 32 has a similar. lower portion 34. The major portion of each side wall 30 is spaced from end walls 31 and 32, as indicated at 35 and 36, respectively (Figs. 3 and 8), thereby permitting flexing of such walls with respect to the remainder of unit 26. Thebottom of unit 26 is open, as indicated by numeral 37.

Figs.- 1 and 7 illustrate device 27 mounted in posisition in each ring recess 23. Referring particularly to Fig. 7, the outer surfaces of side walls 30 of unit 26 bear against and frictionally engage corresponding recess-defining surfaces 38 of the ring band when the device is in position. The distance between surfaces 38 is slightly smaller than the normal distance between the outer surfaces of side walls 30. Therefore, when unit 26 is inserted in recess 23, side walls so are flexed toward each other and caused to bear against surfaces 38, being retained in mounted position by friction.

Reference is next had'to Figs. 4 to 7 for an understanding of the construction of lower unit 27. This unit is also hollow and made from thin sheet metal, and comprises an arcuate bottom wall 40 and a pair of spaced parallel side walls 41. Walls 40 and 41 are provided with a slot 42 that is in registry with the free end of wall portion 34 of unit 26. This constitutes a hinge or pivot connection between units 26 and 27. Unit 27 also includes a resilient end wall :3, which extends upwardly from bottom wall 46 and carries an outwardly projecting flange or stop element 44, that is adapted to co-act with the extremity of wall portion 33 of unit 26 to limit movement of unit 27 in a clockwise direction about its hinge connection with unit 26 to the position shown in Fig. 4. The major portion of end wall 43 is spaced .from side walls 41, as indicated at 45 (Fig. 7), thereby permitting flexing of this end wall with respect to the remainder of unit 27.

As is shown in Figs. 4- and 7, unit 27 projects into unit 26 and is hinged thereto. Also, unit 26 is movable upwardly and downwardly about the hinge connection to the extent shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The units are normally maintained in the relative position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 by a spring means which preferably comprises a single, generally V-shaped spring 46. This spring consists of a lower arm 47, which bears against bottom wall 40 of unit 27, and an upper arm 48, which bears against top wall 28 of unit 26 and terminates in an upwardly projecting finger 49 that registers with opening 29 in the top wall of unit 26.

It will be observed from the foregoing that device 25 consists of three units, namely, upper unit 26, lower unit 27 and spring means 46. These units are assembled prior to insertion of the device in the ring. To this end, unit 27 is inserted in unit 26 to bring the free end of wall portion 34 in registry with slot 42. Spring means 46 is then arranged so that finger 49 registers with opening 29 in the top wall of the upper unit and arm 47 bears against the bottom wall of lower unit 27. The lower unit is next swung upwardly about its hinge connection, first bringing the free extremity of flange 44 into engagement with curved wall portion 33 and then moving the flange upwardly along such curved portion 33 until the flange is moved therepast. This may be readily accomplished, due to the resiliency of end walls 31 and 43.

The device having been assembled is then inserted in ring recess 23, by merely pressing the same to efliect p0- sitioning of unit 26 in the recess. The device having been disposed in recess 23 is maintained therein by friction. Each lower unit normally projects into finger-receiving opening 18, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby decreasing the efi'ective area of that opening. Lower units 27 are adapted to be retracted or moved upwardly into upper units 26 against the action of the corresponding springs, to a position substantially flush with the periphery of opening 18 to correspondingly increase the efiective area of that opening. It will be apparent that this arrangement permits the ring to be readily moved past a knuckle of a users finger and subsequently snugly and comfortably retains the ring in normal position on the users finger.

Figs. 9 to 11 illustrate a modified form of the invention, employing a single device for varying the effective area of the finger-receiving opening of a finger ring. Here I have shown a finger ring 50 comprising a continuous band 51 that defines a finger-receiving opening 52. The band is provided with a decorative head 53 that has a recess 54, which corresponds to recesses 23 of Fig. 1. In this modification,. the recess is located centrally in the decorative head. A device 55 is adapted to vary the effective area of the finger-receiving opening and includes an upper unit 56 adapted to be inserted and frictionally maintained in recess 54 and a lower unit 57. Units 56 and 57 correspond to units 26 and 27, respectively, of the first described embodiment and are likewise preferably made of a flexible sheet metal.

Upper unit 56 is hollow and open at the bottom. This unit comprises a top wall 58, a pair of spaced resilient side walls 59 and a pair of spaced resilient end walls 60. Each end wall carries an inwardly projecting flange or stop element 61. Walls 59 and 60 are spaced apart, as indicated at 62, in Figs. 10 and 11.

Lower unit 57 is also hollow and is open at the top. This unit has an arcuate bottom wall 63, a pair of spaced resilient side walls 64 and a pair of spaced resilient end walls 65 which carry outwardly projecting flanges 66.

Due to the resiliency of the end walls of the upper and lower units, the lower unit may be snapped into the upper unit. It will be apparent that downward movement of the lower unit relative to the upper unit is limited by engagement of flanges 66 with flanges 61.

The lower unit 57 is normally and yieldingly maintained in protracted position (Fig. 9) with respect to upper unit 56 by a helical compression spring 70, which bears at its opposite ends against top wall 58 of the upper unit and bottom wall 63 of the lower unit.

The device having been assembled as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, is inserted in recess 54 and is maintained therein by frictional engagement of the side walls of the upper unit with corresponding recess-defining surfaces of the ring, in the same manner as in the first described form of the invention.

There is shown in Figs. 12 and 13 a further modification of the invention. In this form of the invention, the device 56 is somewhat larger than that of Figs. 9 to 11. Also, Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate another form of spring means 71 that may be used in place of compression spring 70. Spring 71 is of one-piece construction and comprises a bottom member 72 adapted to bear against bottom wall 63 of unit 57 and connected at its ends to each of a pair of helical spring elements 73 having spaced apart, horizontally disposed axes. The spring elements carry spring arms 74, which are inclined and cross each other and which are provided with laterally projecting fingers 75 that bear against top wall 58 of unit 56. It will be observed that spring means 71 normally and yieldingly urges unit 75 downwardly with respect to unit 56, to the extent allowed by flanges 61 and 66.

The operation of the constructions shown in Figs. 9 through 13 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 through 8.

Fig. 14 illustrates a further form of spring means 76 that may be advantageously employed in place of spring means 70 or 71. Spring means 76 comprises a bar 77 adapted to bear against bottom wall 63 of unit 57. Integral with bar 77 is a pair of upstanding helical spring elements that are adapted to bear at their free ends against top wall 58 of unit 56.

Thus it will be seen that the constructions herein shown and described are well adapted to accomplish the objects of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied otherwise than here shown, and that in the forms illustrated certain obvious changes in construction may be made. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the constructions herein shown except as may be required by the appended claims considered with reference to the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a device for varying the effective area of the finger-receiving opening of a finger ring which is provided with a recess that communicates with the fingerreceiving opening, the combination comprising a hollow upper unit having a bottom aperture and including a top wall, a pair of spaced side walls and a pair of spaced end walls, said side walls being resilient and divergent downwardly from the top wall, a member carried by one of the end walls and projecting inwardly of the upper unit, said upper unit being adapted to be inserted in said recess and maintained therein by frictional engagement of the side walls with corresponding recess-defining portions of the ring, a lower unit carried by the upper unit and projecting through the bottom aperture thereof, said lower unit being movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the upper unit, an element carried by the lower unit and projecting outwardly thereof and overlying the member, and spring means bearing against both units for normally and yieldingly urging the lower unit downwardly relative to the upper unit, said element engaging said member to limit downward movement of the lower unit relative to the upper unit.

2. In a device for varying the elfective area of the finger-receiving opening of a finger ring which is provided with a. recess that communicates with the finger-receiving opening, the combination comprising a hollow upper unit having a bottom aperture and including a top wall, a pair of spaced side walls, and a pair of spaced and walls, said side walls being resilient and divergent downwardly from the top wall, each end wall including an inwardly projecting lower portion, said upper unit being adapted to be inserted in said recess and maintained therein by frictional engagement of the side walls with corresponding recess-defining portions of the ring, a hollow lower unit carried by the upper unit and projecting through the bottom aperture thereof, said lower unit comprising a bottom wall, a pair of spaced side walls and an end wall that carries an outwardly projecting element, the portion of the lower unit remote from its said end wall forming a hinge connection with the lower portion of one of the end walls of the upper unit, said lower unit being movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the upper unit about said hinge connection, and spring means bearing against both units for normally and yieldingly urging the lower unit downwardly relative to the upper unit, said element of the lower unit overlying and engaging the lower portion of the other end wall of the upper unit to limit downward. movement of the lower unit relative to the upper unit.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein a part of the lower portion of said one of the end walls of the upper unit registers with a slot in the lower unit to form the hinge connection.

4. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the spring means comprises a generally V-shaped spring including a pair of arms, one of said arms bearing against the top wall of the upper unit and the other bearing against the bottom wall of the lower unit.

5. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the top wall of the upper unit has an opening formed therein, and the spring means comprises a generally V-shaped spring comprising a first arm bearing against the bottom wall of the lower unit and a second arm bearing against the top wall of the upper unit, said second arm including an extension that registers with the opening in the top wall of the upper unit.

6. A device in accordance with claim. 2 wherein a part of the lower portion of said one of the end walls of the upper unit registers with a slot in the lower unit to form the hinge connection, wherein the top wall of the upper unit has an opening formed therein, and wherein the spring means comprises a generally V-shaped spring comprising a first arm bearing against the bottom wall of the lower unit and a second arm bearing against the top wall of the upper unit, said second arm including an extension that registers with the opening in the top wall of the upper unit.

7. In a device for varying the efiective area of the finger-receiving opening of a finger ring which is provided with a recess that communicates with the fingerreceiving opening, the combination comprising a hollow upper unit having a bottom aperture and including a top wall, a pair of spaced side walls, and a pair of spaced end walls, said side walls being resilient and divergent downwardly from the top wall, each end wall including an inwardly projecting member, said upper unit being adapted to be inserted in said recess and maintained therein by frictional engagement of the side walls with corresponding recess-defining portions of the ring, a hollow lower unit carried by the upper unit and projecting through the bottom aperture thereof, said lower unit comprising a bottom wall, a pair of spaced side walls, and a pair of spaced resilient end walls, each of said last mentioned end walls carrying an outwardly projecting element, said lower unit being movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the upper unit, and spring means bearing against both units for normally and yield ingly urging the lower unit downwardly relative to the upper unit, each of said elements overlying and en- 1 8 gaging a corresponding member to limit downward moveend against the bottom wall of the lower unit and at its ment of the lower unit relative to the upper unit. other end against the top wall of the upper unit.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the spring means is in the form of a References Cited in the file of this patent helix. 5

9. A device in accordance with claim 7 wherein the UNITED STATES PATENTS ,spring means consists of a helical spring bearing at one 2,615,314 Axel Oct. 28, 1952 

